New York City Democrat Mayor Adams says he'll run for reelection as an independent

Adams says he was "handcuffed" by the bribery charges against him that were dismissed Wednesday.

Published: April 3, 2025 7:56am

Updated: April 3, 2025 9:40am

New York City Democrat Mayor Eric Adams said that he will run for reelection as an independent.

The mayor announced his plan in an interview with the news outlet Politico published Thursday.

He said he was "handcuffed" by the bribery charges against him that were dismissed Wednesday.

Adams was charged with federal bribery, conspiracy, and campaign finance offenses in September, but pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was accused of accepting illegal campaign donations from the Turkish government.

The Department of Justice formally requested in February that the corruption charges be dropped.

"I’m in the race to the end," he said. "I’m not running on the Democratic line. It’s just not realistic to turn around my numbers and to run a good campaign (from) where we are right now."

A survey from Quinnipac University found that Adams had a 20% approval rating.

Former New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo is also running for mayor.